The Peoples Pig

Breezed in after 7pm and happily found two open seats at the bar. This place was a "we should go but we'll see about the wait" place on my Portland beer and food vacation. I'm so glad I got to check it out. It's small, kind of bare, kitschy, and all in a good way.

Started with the smoked fried chicken and it was great! You can get it as a sandwich or full plate, as well. Do try it.

I enjoyed the pulled pork sandwich, there was a lot of meat on that baby! It was more of a coarse chop (just fyi) but it was really great. Tried the brisket as well, and it was good.

They have some interesting cocktails on the menu, but I prefer beer, so I paired my meal with a nice local Evolution Pale Ale by Mt Tabor Brewing.

You can get your smoked meats a la carte by the pound, as well. Loved the visit to the People's Pig!

I can only speak for the dish I got, but ladies and gentlemen the Porchetta sandwich is worth the hype. This is a sandwich that clearly was dreamed up with love and care. It's a perfect balance of textures and flavors. Allow me to extrapolate:

- the fatty porchetta is balanced out by a chewy bun
- the texture of the meat is well balanced by itself, with fatty bits mixed with crispy ends
- greens contribute a needed light crunch
- flavor wise, the melt in your mouth richness of the porchetta is balanced out by the zesty acidity of lemon. And the seasoned crispy ends bring a tasty savory factor

I'm also a sucker for their potato salad, but then again I'm a sucker for any creamy, dill-y potato salad.

Great space as well; I came late on a Sunday afternoon and enjoyed sitting in the comfort booths, soaking up the sun from their wide windows. Pleasant soundtrack sealed the deal on a nice little Sunday treat.

We hadn't planned on going here, but noticed on Sunday that they were open so we stopped in. -And, because we were so hungry, we went all out and ordered the combo platter that had all the meats available and all sides. (We figured we were here, so let's try everything!)

Our favorites were the brisket and the ribs. The rib meat fell off the bone and was very well-seasoned. The brisket was equally as tender and well-seasoned. The smoke was on the lighter side and the meat was still delicious. The BBQ sauce was good but frankly, neither of us felt the meats needed the sauce. The meats really stood on their own.

The fried chicken also gets a good mention. The breading was not cakey and was flavorful. The chicken meat, super tender and moist.

The cornbread had a rich flavor (like it was done in cast iron) and a great texture. The greens were not overcooked (Which is rare in this town) and although we both prefer a bit more acid, they were delicious.

Other sides we really enjoyed: The potato salad, which was rich and tangy, and the cole slaw as it had a classic flavor profile. -Great house-made pickles, jalapeno jelly, and mayo.

Oh, and everyone we encountered working that day was pleasant, helpful, and cheerful.

Things to know:
-Order and pay at the register then take a seat. There is no table service.
-"To go" containers for your left overs are self-service beyond the right-hand side of the register (, when facing the register to pay), toward the bathrooms.
-Bussing tables is also self-service.

This is delightful place for a meal. Relaxed, lunch counter atmosphere adds to the comfort food appeal of the menu. I've come to realize that a substantial amount of the enjoyment I get from going out comes from the space I'm visiting, as well as the food and drink itself. Peoples Pig isn't fancy, but that's not a requirement for a thoroughly pleasant meal.

I just had a takeout brisket sandwich and some potato salad. Its like the cook changed or something? The brisket was cooked well but had very little taste compared to the very tasty brisket I had on opening day. The bun was too thick. And there were like 15 slices of pickles in it???? There was some sauce to go with it but it looked a bit burnt or dark and had a sweet burnt (not smokey) taste. The Potato salad was much dryer than the first time and was covered in paprika. A bit more than I like.

I ended up eating less than half. I would have given it 2 stars but the first night was so amazing that I have only lowered it to 3.

I will give it another chance but this was a bit of a let down.

Wawaweewa

This joint is good af. It's that kinda place where the bartender/server doesn't care cause they know they're the gatekeeper to deliciousness, so you gotta throw a hand up to get their attention. Oh, and by the way all the draft beers are the same price so no you won't save any money ordering a rainier like I got roped into when my girlfriend ordered one and I just said "me too"... ugh.

That said, I got a smoked pork shoulder shoulder plate with a side of pork rinds, and mac salad... aaaaand a side of fried chicken. The rinds came first, which made them a nice little appetizer and sign of good things to come. Fried to order and served with a shake of seasoning they were slightly sweet and fantastically crunchy. The pork shoulder was tender, delicious, packed with flavor and served with a bomb bbq sauce and the Mac salad that I ordered along side it was a perfect cool and refreshing break between meaty bites. The chicken was damn good but they're the people's PIG for a reason.

My girlfriend went for the bbq pork sandwich, man did she's screw up. She did mention that the bun was toasted to perfection but I think she was trying to make up for not having two sides (more on that later) and having her hands DRENCHED in sauce. Still, I have to say, it did look like a good bun. The mac n cheese though, first thing she said was that it was NOT worth four dollars and went on to say it got worse with every bite.

Order right and you'll be in porky heaven.

Stopped by the new location and were not let down by the staff.

Let me just tell you the smokey old fashioned, and the bloody mary will keep you there all day & night.

My go to is the beef brisket with potato salad and slaw...this makes me happy, i think it will do the same
for you.

It is a small place , with a outlook and decor of a tavern , so you might miss it if you blink , but what it lacks in space it makes up for in food , if you expect exceptional service or comfort and spacious dining look else where , but if you want great food and a drink to go with it , this is a place for you. Being from Cali I would definitely recommend this place to people visiting Portland and are looking for a good hearty meal . The collard greens and the cornbread are the best I've tried

I wouldn't leave a bad review if just the food or just the service was bad. At this location of People's Pig both were subpar.

I walked in to a mostly empty restaurant and was greeted by the blank stare of the person working behind the counter. I don't expect to be besties, but a hi would be nice. She followed up that warmth with zero acknowledgment of my "thank you" when she brought out my food. She literally just looked me in the eye and turned and walked away without any reply.

The food is as bad as the other reviewers say it is. The brisket manages to be both disgustingly fatty and inedibly dry at the same time. The mac and cheese is actually pretty good and was much more fun to eat than the mac salad.

Ultimately, there's no mystery why this place gets one star reviews and why not many people are in here with me choking this food down.

It's disappointing there's such a big difference between locations.

If your looking for a bbq pork "fat" sandwich then you came to the right place. Literally half the meat was pure fat and definitely not my cup of tea.

Speaking of tea - that was good both sweet n black. I asked for a half cut. Potato salad was a bit vinegary but tasty as a side.

Staff was more about themselves then their costumers. They were not rude but a bit aloof.

Not a repeat for me with so many other wonderful places to eat in Portland. Go elsewhere.